Catalysts with aromatic saturation and/or olefin saturation activity are employed in a variety of manners in a refinery setting. For example, in lubricant base oil production, a final aromatic saturation step in the presence of a catalyst with high activity for aromatic saturation can be valuable for reducing the aromatics content of the base oil product. Catalysts with hydrogenation activity can also be useful for treating an effluent from a cracking or hydrocracking process to reduce the olefin content or aromatic content of the cracked product.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,288,007 describes a hydrogenation catalyst with high sulfur tolerance. One version of the hydrogenation catalyst can include a silica substrate impregnated with a noble metal that also includes a surface-modification with an aluminum-containing compound. Examples of catalysts having silica substrates are described that include surface-modification amounts of 2.9 wt %, 5.8 wt %, and 8.1 wt % of aluminum.